Tag: video

Look no further for your bomb-@$$ salad! This baby is so good. And medicinal. Here are just 5 reasons why this salad needs to GET IN YOUR BELLY:

1. Vitamin C + Iron Combo

Vitamin C is needed for peak absorption of plant based iron. So the vitamin C from the orange and lime in the dressing combined with all of these iron packed greens?! Watch out world, you’re blood is builllttt!

2. Bones of STEEL

Plant based sources of calcium: kale, collards, sesame seeds, oranges… they are all great sources! Throw them all together and you are left with nothing but a mineral dense delicious meal fit for a superhero.

3. Anti-inflammatory + Protein

Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory aid, shown to help not only with stomach issues, but migraines, arthritis, and any kind of ache or pain. It is truly a great go-to cure all.

4. Protein + Fiber Packed

Did you know that 50% of calories from green leafys is from protein? Plus, sesame seeds have more protein per weight than any other nut or seed. Protein and fiber are important to turn off hunger hormones. Plus healthy sources of fat (sesame, walnuts) help curb cravings a lot too. So this salad will get you shredded baby. Yes, shredded.

5. Simple, Fresh, Versatile

Make this dressing with whatever ingredients you have on hand. No sesame? Use cashews or hemp instead. Or whatever seed or nut you have on hand honestly. This is delicious with mint, basil, or dill instead of cilantro, and can be used as a dip, filling, or topping for any plant based burger, falafel ball, or, even throw a banana in and drink as a smoothie?! The sky is the limit. Enjoy 🙂

PS: I have a few spots open for one-on-one counseling with me! Click here to schedule a free consult with me to see if I am right for you 🙂

Growing up in a home with a perpetual aroma of freshly baked bread and an ever-replenishing plate of homemade muffins, cookies, or brownies, I could never give up milk, butter or eggs. No way. How could I? Oh, and I definitely could not ever give up muenster cheese. The divine moldy cow teet fluid suffocated in sodium and grease, in between sour dough smothered in 100% cow fat, and grilled. Divine. Delicious acne. Heavenly mood swings, bouts of depression, energy crashes, and stomachaches.

Although I am not a French trained gourmet baker, my taste buds do not lie. There are certainly ways to enjoy baking, without the harmful baggage. Here, you will learn how to make scrumptious baked goods taste the way you like, and make you feel that glowing radiant health that you deserve. What is life without energy. Only alive radiant energy in my baked goods. peace sign

Flour

“The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead.” ~Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Ideally, we want to transition from white flours to more wholesome flours or products.

Instead of 100% white flour, try:

½ whole grain or bean flour + ½ white flour

Make your own oat flour: blend rolled or quick oats in the blender or food processor until flour consistency

Does what you are making really require flour? I used to think that cookies and brownies needed flour until I tried white bean snickerdoodles and black bean brownies that use beans for a base instead.

Little cholesterol and saturated fat bombs. There are lots of healthier alternatives.

The tried and true is the flax or chia egg:

1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds + 3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water

Mix until well combined and let sit until it forms a gel.

For a light and fluffy product, instead of 1 egg, try:

2 tsp baking soda + 2 Tbsp warm water

1 tsp aluminum free baking powder + 1 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. baker’s yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water

Mix until well combined and gelatinous

For thick and dense products, like brownies and cookies, instead of 1 egg, try

½ cup mashed ripe banana

¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce

¼ cup canned pumpkin or squash

Ener-G Egg replacer product

2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp potato starch + 2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp. instant mased potatoes

2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water

Mix until well combined and gelatinous

Tip: if you need to replace just an egg white, try:

Aquafaba: Don’t pour the canned bean liquid down the drain! Aquafaba in latin means “water bean”. It is the bean water from a can or from cooking beans.

Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip it up and after beating for five minutes, the liquid will start to form stiff peaks, just like egg whites. To stabilize the aquafaba, add an acid such as lemon juice, vinegar, or cream or tartar. Use ½ teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar or ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar for ¾ cup of bean liquid. Adding an acid is especially helpful when you are making something that will not be eaten right away as it helps the aquafaba to remain aerated.

There are lots of other egg replacements out there. Have you tried tofu scramble? For quiches and custards ¼ cup of pureed soft tofu works tremendously.

Milk

For a cholesterol, hormone, and unfavorable protein-free alternative try unsweetened and unflavored varieties of plant milks. Soy, almond, and rice milks are common neutral good ones.

Instead of buttermilk, try:

1 cup unsweetened soy milk + 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar.

Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined and creamy. Equal to 1 cup buttermilk

Butter / Oil

Solid or liquid, animal or plant, it is still 100% fat, absorbed way too quickly, very calorie dense, and not health promoting. Usually, these are added to moisten the product. What’s fabulous about vegan baked goods, is that they do not need to be cooked all the way since the ingredients do not harbor food born illnesses like salmonella. So, they will certainly be ooey, gooey, and moist. Yet instead of doing so with butter or oil, replace with applesauce, mashed banana, or another chia egg.

Sugar

White sugar is stimulating, like a drug. It excites us and gets us addicted so we can’t stop thinking about it. After we have a hit of white sugar and our blood glucose levels spike, a crash follows. Leading to fatigue, depression, anxiety, and even headaches post-sugar hit. My recommendation? Stay away from drugs. Crack. Cocaine. White sugar. Etc.

Whole fruit is sweet enough! Dates are loaded with potassium (more potassium than bananas), fiber, and even have great iron and calcium too! Instead of sugar, blend pitted dates into your recipe. Make sure they are moist enough by soaking them in warm water for at least 15 minutes before using if they are too hard. They should be nice and mushy and combine easily.

Baking healthy vegan is the best. It’s super easy cleanup, no grease, no scrubbing, no flour everywhere. I love it. You actually feel like you did a service sharing these goodies with people too. No more giving away stomach aches and post-eating purging episodes. This is a real issue people. Now’s the time to inspire others with how delicious healthy baked goods can be! Your homework: Fail. Try and try again. I am certain you will make some incredible things. And I am certain some things won’t be the bees knees. That’s ok. Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. Have fun!

So you wanna be a superhero? Me too. Let’s start with endurance. I’ve got the research, now all you have to do is put in the effort. Here’s my 11 tips:

1. Train

Think you have to keel over to improve your endurance? Think again. According to the ACE Personal Trainer Manual 5th edition, studies have shown that endurance improvement favored those who had performed more zone 1 training.

80% of training should be done at intensities where speech is comfortable (zone 1) and only about 10% of training should be performed at intensities above VT2 (zone 3, where blood lactate increases significantly).

It would make sense that this 80% zone 1 training should, for the most part, be performed relatively high in zone 1. So, if you are just getting into endurance activities like running, just getting started will improve your endurance. However, to really get your speed up and improve, get a little uncomfortable with the “talk test.” Can you sing comfortably while you are running? If you can, then you can definitely try to go a little faster. Get on those hills, and laugh fearlessly at your struggles!

2. Hydrate

Did you know that muscles are 70-75% water? That’s right! According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, muscle is only 15-20% protein, 5-7% fat, glycogen, and minerals.

Why is hydration important?

Temperature regulation

Blood volume + blood pressure

Keep organs, kidneys, cells, working optimally

Prevent dehydration

Things to consider:

Weather

Clothing

Your personal sweaty-ness

According to the American Counsel on Exercise (ACE):

~4 hours before the event, drink 3-4 cups of water + weigh yourself

> during the event: definitely varies, but drink about ½ cup water every 20 minute

after event drink about 2 cups of water for every pound that you lost during the event

IMPORTANT: Prevent depletion in electrolytes like sodium and potassium as those are necessary for muscle contraction and blood pressure regulation which, if low can cause cramping, twitching and even heart issues. These electrolytes may be excreted with sweat

In general, water alone should be fine to rehydrate, but if it is extra humid or you lose 3% or more body weight during the event I recommend a natural electrolyte beverage like coconut water and / or datorade.

Dateorade:

2 cups water

½ lime or lemon, juiced

2-3 dates

maybe a pinch of Himalayan salt or dulse flakes

Blend for about 1 minute. This provides natural sources of electrolytes, antioxidants and nutrients without the added colors, flavors, or refined sugars and is a great go-to beverage before, during, and after an event.

3. Carb Load Correctly

FACT: Activity that lasts longer than several hours depletes glycogen stores. Carbohydrates consumed during exercise helps endurance athletes maintain a fast pace; fat is used more efficiently for fuel as exercise continues. Protein is a very minor fuel source during endurance exercise.

PROTEIN: it is important for repairing tissues, making enzymes + hormones, transporting nutrients, making muscles contract, regulating water balance. However, if you don’t consume enough carbs for your high energy demands, the body will use protein for energy instead which is EXTREMELY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO YOUR PHYSICAL GOALS! Although protein may supply energy, extra amounts are not your best fuel. While carbs are stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen to be used for quick energy, excess protein is stored as fat, and not used for energy if you already consume enough calories. In general, protein should supply 10-35% of overall calorie intake which is met easily without powders or supplements in a balanced whole foods plant based diet. Since athletes usually eat more with a good appetite, they easily get the protein and nutrients they need. Protein requires more fluid in order to be metabolized because we need to excrete the toxic nitrogenous waste as urea so can lead to kidney issues, dehydration, cramping, and fatigue.

Energy need for endurance sports depends on body size, duration of activity, and overall effort. An elite athlete may need 4000-6000 calories daily, chosen from a high carbohydrate diet. Don’t worry about calculating your protein because if you are eating a balanced diet of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, and are eating enough calories, the protein in these foods will add up to be enough protein.

7 days before the event:

Days 1-3 Moderate-CHO diet of around 55% of calories, in general, recommendations are 45-65% of calories should come from carbohydrates

Days 4-6 Increase to high carbohydrate diet of about 80% of calories

Dinner before the event: >80% calories from carbohydrates

4. Four Hours Out:

Simple balanced meal should be fine. Try to keep it around 500 calories and under to prevent fatigue and slow gastric emptying. If you are nervous it is ok to eat less and eat more simple carbs like fruit or fruit juice 1-2 hours before the event

5. Pre Workout

While what you eat pre-workout is very important, it is essential that the previous workout was properly recovered from and that we eat a healthy balanced diet with adequate calories and nutrients on a daily basis.

Day of the event: If in the morning, I recommend staying light with datorade or fruit juice beverage. Within 1-2 hours of event, The food eaten should be around 200-300 calories, high in carbohydrate to maximize blood glucose availability, and low in fat and fiber to minimize GI distress and facilitate gastric emptying, it should be moderate to low in protein, and known to be well tolerated by you. A go to for before, during, and after workouts.

7. Post Workout

Eat in abundance! It is counterproductive for endurance athletes to restrict. The best meals post workout include an abundance of carbohydrates accompanied by some protein. ACE recommends about 2.2 grams of carbs for each pound of body weight to be eaten within the first 30 minutes after exercise and then every 2 hours for 4-6 hours. A diet of whole plant foods consisting of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fruit that is sufficient in calories should provide adequate post-workout carbohydrates and protein.

There are lots of studies out there on various plant foods, when choosing fuel to prevent pain, recover quickly I recommend whole plant foods

9. Improve Oxygen Utilization

Yes, Nitrates are components in plant foods like beets, spinach, celery, and arugula that can cause athletes to perform intensely with less oxygen needed. Crazy!

In a study with cyclists, beet juice compared to current juice improved oxygen utilization by a whopping 20% which is quite significant. Drinking beet juice is so powerful that it can bring someones high blood pressure down within 3 hours. Also, pharmaceutical companies use this concept for patients with chest pain to help with blood flow. These drugs are called nitroglycerines. You know another nitrate drug? It’s called Viagra and it certainly improves blood flow but you might as well just eat your vegetables.

How do nitrates work? Bacteria in our saliva convert it to nitric oxide. HOWEVER be sure to not use antibacterial mouth wash because this has been shown to deplete healthy mouth bacteria and therefore inhibit the conversion of nitrate to nitric oxide to allow us to oxygenate our blood.

10. Build Blood

Think you don’t need to eat your greens? Ever been to a smoothie joint that sold wheatgrass shots? One thing that wheatgrass juice is dense in is that dark green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been shown to increase hemoglobin in anemic rabbits. Hemoglobin is the component of blood that carries oxygen and as you can see is very similar to chlorophyll in dark leafy green vegetables. I recommend eating about 5 cups of leafy greens daily.

11. Adequate REST

Symptoms can be both physiological and emotional and are highly individualized.

Signs/ symptoms of overtraining:

decline in performance with continued training

sleep disturbances

weight loss

multiple colds / frequent sickness

irritability, restlessness, anxiousness

loss of motivation / vigor

lack of mental concentration / focus

lack of appreciation for things that are normally enjoyable

Best way to prevent overtraining is with periodization: alternate easy, moderate, and hard periods of training. Generally, one or two days of intense training should be followed by an equal number of easy training days. A week or two of hard training should be followed by a week or two of easier effort.

Today you learned

about hydration, the talk test, carbohydrate loading, what to eat pre, during, and post workout, how to prevent muscle soreness, how to increase oxygen utilization and how to build blood and prevent overtraining. Get out there and awaken your inner athlete! Give this video a thumbs up, leave your comments below, and remember. Deep down, you truly are a morning person. Wake up and live, Reines and shine!

Pasta. What a delectable vehicle for vegetables! Add your favorite beans, steamed veggies, and tomato sauce and BOOM! An impressive gourmet dinner. While intact grains are the gold standard (grains in their whole form), whole grains, yes including their bran, germ, and endosperm, are milled into a fine flour to make whole grain pastas, breakfast cereals, and other “whole grain” products. A few examples of legit whole intact grains would be steel cut oats, brown rice, quinoa, and millet.

How to tell if the product is WHOLE GRAIN?

Whole grain stamp is on the package

“100%” or “Whole” are used to describe it

The first ingredient listed is a whole grain

Refined grains are not only grains milled into a flour, but their grain was stripped of the nutrient and fiber containing bran and germ! Murder! Refined grains are white / light in color and examples include white bread, cookies, cakes, pretzels, white rice, regular pasta, and anything made with white flour. Darn!

Don’t fret too much! The recommendation is:

Make at least 1/2 of your grains whole grains.

Grains are an important part of a healthy balanced diet for fiber, iron, magnesium, selenium, b vitamins, and lasting energy! Be sure to include them on your plate.

The Taste Test

Well before #1, my personal favorite is ZUCCHINILINI OF COURSE! Which is simply zucchini or summer squash, spirilized to look and feel like spaghetti. I like to mix it with pasta dishes to add bulk, flavor, color, and more veg of course!

#2. Bionaturae Gluten Free Corn and Soy Spaghetti: Fabulous texture and taste and with 5g protein and 6% iron, this product is ok. Low in fiber

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#3. Jovial Gluten Free Brown Rice Spaghetti: Quite sticky texture, but great flavor and elasticity. Would go great with a sauce. However, low in fiber although whole grain. Brown rice is naturally low in fiber.

#5. Andean Dream Quinoa Gluten Free Spaghetti: Texture was definitely a little sandy. But I must say with 6% calcium, 12% iron, and just barely a good source of fiber at 10% daily value, not bad.

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The Consensus:

The quinoa based gluten free products have a better nutritional profile, but are not as delicious as the lower fiber rice based ones.

Why I personally still avoid Gluten?

Do I go out of my way to avoid gluten?

No. I still enjoy it in moderation. My mom makes homemade bread and pizza with gluten which I eat occasionally. My diet is whole foods based, so I rarely purchase packaged products that might contain gluten.

Do I eat gluten every day?

No. Maybe I eat a gluten containing meal or snack 3-4 times a week. I am generally healthy and do not currently feel any reason to put more effort into seriously avoiding wheat, barley, rye, and foods containing gluten 100% of the time.

Why I make this personal choice:

My sister has ulcerative colitis, which is similar to celiacs in that they are both autoimmune inflammatory intestinal disorders. With a genetic risk factor in my family, I try to not over load the gluten as a personal preventative measure.

Studies linking gluten and autism spectrum disorders autism-and-nutrition-1. The GFCF (gluten free casein free) diet has been shown to help people with ADHD and autism, what else could it be linked to? I am ever curious and after reading such articles have trouble stomaching gluten (and of course would never recommend drinking milk).

Naturopaths recommend avoiding gluten initially when trying to avoid inflammation with an “elimination diet,” along with dairy and other common inflammatory trigger foods. With this in mind, many people have success reversing adverse symptoms like rashes, IBS, fatigue, etc (SO MANY), once they remove gluten from their diet. I grew up with canker sores, weird rashes, and eczema so, avoiding inflammation (and gluten) is in my best interest.

Close friends with celiac disease so it is easier for everybody to find a gluten free delicious option!

While as you could see from the video, a gluten free diet is not recommended for the general public because it tends to have less nutrients. Be a savvy shopper and let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy those intact whole grains and plant yums! xx

First of all, I am so honored to have met Steph from Steph’s Plate! She is such a doll you must watch her videos and get inspired on IG. Secondly, True Bistro is one of the most classy vegan restaurants I have ever been to. It is definitely swanky enough for impressing a date, yet not intimidatingly so. Their lunch menu offers brunch options of waffles, crepes, tofu scrambles, as well as classic sandwiches with burgers, salads, and they feature incredible sweets like local FoMu ice cream and fresh cinnamon buns.

Steph ordered the crepes with FoMu lavender ice cream and blueberry compote, I went for the more savory mushroom and red pepper tofu scramble with fresh home fries, salad, and a side of their smokey mac and cheese. Steph’s crepes were incredible. They didn’t, you know, “taste vegan” at all! It was so good, like an incredible dessert to me! My scramble had such a refined savory flavor profile, I was really impressed. It didn’t taste like eggs necessarily but the combo of herbs and veggies were brilliant- so delicious. The mac and cheese I actually got to take home for my sister (the cheese lover). It had a LOT of smokey flavor, almost sausage-y. Anyone who enjoys those smokey tones would adore it. Can’t wait to try the waffles and I must go for dinner!

4 Reasons: Try A Vegan Restaurant:

1. Plant Foods In Your Diet

A whole foods plant based diet has been shown to be the most effective at preventing and reversing disease. According to the USDA’s Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines:

2. Environmental Impact

It is without a doubt that eating more plant based meals is more sustainable for the long term and environmentally friendly. As described in the USDA’s Scientific Report, and watch Dr. Michael Gregor’s Video:

3. Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer

Saturated fat and cholesterol are well known for their association with causing the leading causes of death: heart disease and cancer. Fortunately, plant based diets high in whole foods with fiber containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables, can significantly reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

4. Get Inspired

Once you find out how delicious plant foods can really be, you are much more likely to want to get in the kitchen and start cooking! Keep trying more restaurants and dishes, and before you know it, every meal will be whole foods, plant based, and simply divine.

School, work, packing for kids, or just want easy healthy lunch ideas; I’ve got you covered! Three of my favorite and most simple lunch combos. Watch this video to get the tips, snacks, and full recipes.

….Whoever said you needed to give up ____ to be healthy, never heard of mindful eating. Whether trying to lose weight, combat cravings, or simply enjoy food even more, the benefits to mindful eating are endless.

Learn to Stop Mindless Eating

As a senior studying dietetics who has learned the hard way that taking the stress out on my food never helps the way I want it to, I am beyond excited to share this short video that I put together for my Nutrition Communications class so you can start achieving your life-long health goals with mindful eating.

Anna (left) and Katie ((me!) right) dive deep into statistics and research

Find Out: What Is Mindful Eating?

Pause, take a deep breath, and flex your savor muscle. Just like any skill, it takes practice to get good at it. It is asking yourself, what does the food look like? Where did it come from? Why am I eating it? What does it smell like…sound like…feel like? Do I like it? What do I like about it? How does it feel when I chew it? Is it crunchy? Moist? Hot?

Get Advice From An Expert

Registered Dietitian Rachel Clark of Purdue University discusses what mindful eating is, how it has benefitted her clients, and how to get started eating more mindfully.

I incorporated knowledge from the professor who initially taught me about mindful eating, Rachel Clark, MS, RD, CSST into the video. She taught me how mindful eating is about eating without distractions or negative judgement, and enjoying the foods you like with acceptance.

Will it be effective for you?

Learn how to recognize triggers for eating. Just taking a second to take a deep breath and rationalize emotions can help to take just one candy bar and savor it- instead of 5 and still wanting more.

Would you believe that people actually make healthier choices and have effortless weight loss when they eat whatever they want whenever they want, mindfully?

At least once a day, practice mindful eating.

This means stop, and do nothing, but eat. Yes, turn off the t.v., close the laptop, and take even just 5 minutes to enjoy it. Pay attention and appreciate its taste and texture, and be grateful for the food and where it came from.

Hi, I’m Katie Reines, MS, RD.

Ahh sweet food freedom. A life of confidence, radiant energy, glowing skin, productivity, and balance. I am a registered dietitian here to help you experience the life your beautiful body deserves through holistic health and nutritional counseling.

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Hi, I’m Katie Reines, MS, RD.

Ahh sweet food freedom. A life of confidence, radiant energy, glowing skin, productivity, and balance. I am a registered dietitian here to help you experience the life your beautiful body deserves through holistic health and nutritional counseling.

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.